Pages

Friday, September 14, 2012

Finishing Your Book and Getting an Agent and Publisher: An Interview

Thriller writer Jeff Abbott is so smart and wise, I can't resist sharing the interview with you that he did with the Pacific Northwest Writers Association. I don't read too many thrillers (and—full disclosure—have not read Jeff Abbott's books), so when I saw this nine-minute podcast come over the transom from PNWA, I thought it would be something I might be only mildly interested in. But the points Jeff makes apply to any writer in any genre, and are rock-solid insightful.

A few areas he talks about in the interview:

how to focus on finishing your project

getting an agent (Jeff explains how he did it, which was sort of backwards, but a great idea)

the importance of writing what you love to read

choreographing action scenes and keeping the emotional context foremost in action scenes (if you don't, he says, you are writing smoke and mirrors, CGI)

the dance of plot and character

what to focus on if you want to be published

what to keep in mind at all times: that your book is your first real impression on readers, not branding or marketing or getting the book out there.

5 comments:

An excellent interview!!! The part I took note of is the importance of reading, and reading often. I've found that has helped me more than anything during the rewriting. It's something that inspires me.

This Blog

(Click on white topic titles above for archived posts)

Most writers struggle to maintain equilibrium in their writing life. We find that both intense solitude and enthusiastic networking are necessary to success. It's a little crazy. Curiously, we are not willing to give up this crazy life. We need help. Not to give anything up, but to make it easier.

This blog is meant to be a writers' resource, to identify and delve into the elements that help us achieve equilibrium and success. Each Monday I'll post on Writer's Craft or Practical Tools—the keys to writing and pitching a great story. Previously I’ve covered topics including News & Views, People to Know, and Creative Energy. You can access those posts by clicking on the white topic headings above. While the posts will dip back into those pools when something irresistible comes up, for the most part I’m now zeroing in on the primary requirement we all must meet to become published . . . writing a great book. I hope these posts are useful and that you'll leave comments and ask questions so we can indulge in one of our favorite writerly things—a dialogue.

About Me

I'm a writer who lives in the Pacific Northwest of the U.S. and loves to travel. I write mystery/suspense and historical fiction. One suspense novel, set in London and Cairo, is now on submission, while I delve into the struggle for survival that shaped the undeclared war between Native Americans and white American settlers in the Ohio River Valley in the late 1700s.